Let me say first I love Joanne Fluke and her Cookie Jar mysteries. BUT the last two books have been disappointing. I don’t like that each one ended on a cliffhanger. And there seems to be more recipes and discussions about eating than the actual story. Hannah is moving on after her “marriage “ to Ross. But then she gets some devastating news and life takes another turn. The story in itself is really good and interesting. But I have my doubts that Joanne Fluke really wrote this. The dialogue is stilted, the characters don’t have the likability as in past books and the story just isn’t fleshed out. Just when the story gets good a new chapter starts or someone mentions food and down the rabbit hole we go. Sorry but not my favorite story.
I voluntarily received a copy of this book from Netgalley.

“Chocolate Cream Pie Murder” is the twenty-fourth book in the Hannah Swensen Series by the author, Joanne Fluke. Why did I want to read this novel? Well, I love to curl up on the sofa on a dark winter’s night, or any time, really, with a mug of hot chocolate and a good cozy mystery and if it’s about food, as this one is, then so much the better!

I haven’t read any of the other books in this series yet, however, I don’t think that this spoilt my enjoyment of this novel. That said, there is nothing more exciting than picking up a book which is the first in a new series.

When Hannah’s Bakery, The Cookie Jar, becomes the setting of a TV special about movies filmed in Minnesota, Hannah hopes the spotlight will be shining on her bakery, and not the unsavoury scandal about her personal life. But that’s impossible with a disturbing visit from someone she once believed was her one and only love, a group of bodyguards following her every move, and a murder victim in her bedroom. Now, moving to her mother Delores’ penthouse, Hannah and an old flame team up to solve a case and as suspects emerge and secrets hit close to home, Hannah must find the killer prowling around Lake Eden before someone takes a slice out of her…

I liked that the opening chapters drew me into the story and captured my attention immediately. Although I had to wait a while before an actual murder took place there was still a lot going on. I found many of the characters very funny and easy to relate to, particularly Hannah herself and many of the other characters in the book were extremely amusing and unusual. I even liked the bad guy, the one everyone loves to hate.

The book had a natural, steady pace, and even though the murder occurred towards the end, I was kept guessing until the surprising reveal. Delightful and entertaining “Chocolate Cream Pie Murder” is a quick, light read for all cozy mystery fans.

{Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the free copy of this novel and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.}

I always enjoy everything about this series! I love that the author has given us long running characters who become family after all this time reading them. I love the yummy recipes that Hannah puts in the book. But most of all, I love that this series still keeps me guessing and is fun. I look forward to whatever Hannah gets into next. The books are always well written with no issues in flow or plot. Keep writing this series Ms. Fluke. Your long time readers still want more!
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book provided by NetGalley.

My first Joanne Fluke book. My friend explained the entire series to get me up to date with the story so far. With all the details in my brain, I stepped up enthusiastically into the pages of the book and I was shocked!!

The writing, though perfect in English, did not attract me at all. There were a lot of characters, all Hannah's friends, who were supposed to be warm and friendly, yet the warmth did not seep through the pages. There was a distance between them, maybe it was the formal way of writing. I let that go since I had started reading late in the series.

But it were the dialogues which took my breath away. They were so weak that I almost cringed, the dialogues told me the scenes instead of showing it to me. Nothing unfolded, everything was told to me. The story dealt with the bigamist husband Ross's reappearance into Hannah's life to get his dirty paws on the money. The was a mystery and a murder which occurred at 80% of the book followed by Hannah's investigation and deduction. And the book was done.

I love animals and recipes in a cozy series. But this book overdid it with both. Everything felt disjointed in this book. Maybe that was the writing style, don't know and now, don't care too.

As an amateur sleuth, Hannah was weak, and this would be my first and last Joanne Fluke book. I finished it in 1 hour flat as there was nothing which pulled me in.

I’ve been reading this books since about book 4 and will read them until the very last one. These books are like home to me. I love each character and each place. I was so happy to get this boo to see where Hannah’s marriage ends up and it did not disappoint. Love love love.

This book is a marked departure from the series of Hannah books. The crime doesn’t even take place until 3/4 of the way through the book. It comes so late that I’d thought the book might end on a cliffhanger and that all the action would take place in the second book. This book was all dealing with fallout from the Ross situation, which, admittedly, DID need to be dealt with but I feel other books in the series have done a better job interweaving the personal and professional (as an amateur sleuth) lines. And the ending felt rushed and shoehorned in, though I know it wasn’t because it was clearly woven in from the start of this book, it just felt like it as a race to cram all the “action” into that last bit of the book.

I felt the character development suffering for lack of characters returning in this book. Many characters were mentioned who didn’t actually appear or they were there very little/few of the times those characters would normally have been around. Andrea and Claire (moreso Andrea) are especially notable because of their absence. I really missed catching up with all of my favourite characters. I especially missed baking new Valentine’s recipes with Hannah and Michelle at the condo.

I also felt the recipes sections in this book we’re a little disjointed. They seemed to mention a recipe several times before it finally appeared at the end of a later chapter than the one it’d originally been mentioned in. And I always thought these books had new or innovative ways of baking things but I found several recipes in this book for some things that I already make. Which is not a terrible thing but it feels like fewer newer recipes and so fewer actual new ones to try. I still am excited to try the new ones though. And even the old ones as there are some there that I have made for many years.

Despite all the complaining I’ve just done, I didn’t hate this book. For all that it wasn’t, I really enjoyed it for what it was. (And it was through talking to my friend Jay about it that I realized this even more, so I thank him for that.) The Ross stuff needed to be dealt with and I’m glad that it was. I was never Team Ross but I liked him when he was introduced. For all the characters that were there, I liked catching back up with them and doing so while enjoying yummy treats down at The Cookie Jar.

CHOCOLATE CREAM PIE MURDER BY JOANNE FLUKE BOOK REVIEW
Let’s head back to Lake Eden with Hannah Swensen. Guess what? There’s a murder & Hannah is involved.

COZY AS CHOCOLATE CREAM PIE
I know exactly what I’m getting when I crack open the spine of a Hannah Swensen novel from Joanne Fluke. As I settle in with the cast of memorable characters in Lake Eden, I feel at home. Like me, Hannah & her family talk about food non-stop. This means there are tons of tasty recipes all along the way.

While I took a break from the series for a bit, I’m back in action. The story opens with Hannah dealing with the fallout from her sham marriage. Of course, Hannah didn’t know that. Ross played her & luckily, he’s gone for good. Or is he?

Chocolate Cream Pie Murder takes a bit of a darker turn. Yes, it’s still cozy material. But there are some pretty intense encounters this go around. Hannah always gets herself in the middle of things. No doubt, she is known for sticking her nose into situations. This time, it’s a little different. The trouble finds her & she can’t get herself & her nose away from it fast enough.

THE VERDICT
I am Really Into This book & I am Really Into This series. Christmas Cake Murder rekindled my love for this fantastic series. And this ending… what?!? I’m hooked & ready for the next one.

You’ve got to check out the fantastic Hallmark movies based on Joanne’s books. They are a TON of fun!

Special thanks to Joane Fluke, Kensington Books & NetGalley for providing our copy in exchange for an honest & fair review.

I have been a Hannah Swenson fan for YEARS, love her as a character and really love her cookie recipes. I have been known to stop mid-story to try one out since they show up in the story as they are presented. Personally I am team Norman all the way and have to admit that my jaw dropped so hard after reading the Double Fudge Brownie Murder I think I chipped a tooth then to follow it up a couple of books later with the Raspberry Danish Murder (no spoilers here). This latest installment is the proverbial frosting on the storyline. I must say though that I don't remember Hannah being quite so reckless. Great story line and it kept me guessing until right before the end. Looking forward to trying several of the recipes including the chicken in Cabernet sauce, the crock pot recipe.

I've always been a huge fan of Hannah Swenson and I couldn't wait for this next installment! This book had a little different pace than the rest of the series, as the murder didn't occur until 80% of the way through and wrapped up very quickly. That last line was very unexpected and will have me anxiously awaiting the next book!

Thank you to Kensington and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book!

The book opens to Hannah going to church and deciding to apologize to all the residents of Lake Eden for not telling them about her missing husband. The reason he left and why she didn't tell them is finally revealed. Is anyone surprised that Ross was a scoundrel? Not me. Did anyone even like him? Not me.

There is some mystery surrounding why he left and when Hannah feels threatened Mike and Norman circle her and make themselves her personal bodyguards. The recipes as always sound amazing, and I know what I am baking tonight. Chocolate mint cookies anyone?

I am not too happy with how the book ended but hopefully the next book takes a turn and makes it right.

I received Chocolate Cream Pie Murder by Joanne Fluke as an ARC from NetGalley. I've read all of Joanne Fluke's previous books in the Hannah Swensen series, Her books are lighthearted mysteries filled with great recipes, In this edition, Hannah is trying to figure out what is going on with the man that she thought was her husband, If liked Joanne Fluke's previous novels you will like this one too,

Hopefully you are all caught up in the Hannah Swensen series!

In Chocolate Cream Pie Murder we find Hannah in very unstable condition. Her marriage has been discovered to be a farce and she now must explain to the residence of Lake Eden what has happened and she feels the need to apologize and to make amends. Embarrassed and humiliated Hannah tries her best to pick up the pieces of her life and put the past behind her.

Until she receives a threatening visitor who frightens her to the point that the whole town unites in order to protect her. And then there is a dead body found in her bedroom. Hannah is falling to pieces! So many questions...will Hannah be next? And of course, who is the murderer?

I expected this to be another Fluke cozy mystery which I really do enjoy, but she surprised me with a shocking ending, and I mean SHOCKING!

Once again Fluke adds spice to both her story and the recipes which are included at the end of each chapter. I am glad to see she is branching out from just cookie recipes and including many more full dinner meals. And I love the crockpot recipes as well!

The book is a terrific quick read and all I really can say is please hurry and put out the next installment! I can't wait!

Chocolate Cream Pie Murder will be out February 29. Thank you #NetGalley and #Kensington Publishing @Joanne Fluke for the advanced copy!

Beware that this book is very different from other mysteries. Half the book is recipes, one third is socializing and only one sixth is an actual murder mystery. Still, what is a story is very well written, and the setting and the characters are very good.

Well.
I didn't hate this book [I actually enjoyed quite a bit of it, which was a surprise and made me happy] as much as I hated previous ones. Which is saying a lot. And I am glad that the author cleaned up the mess that was "Ross" [HOW HOW HOW Hannah could have THREE men be in love with her is still and will forever be a humongous mystery to me] and did it in a pretty decent way - psychopaths and narcissists are so capable of conning anyone and this was the case here and for that, I do feel sorry for Hannah. She had one perfectly good man right in front of her [and a decent cop but a player of a man on the side] and fell for someone who was a ginormous con man and a dangerous one at that.
I missed some of the main characters, but liked that we saw some of the peripheral ones in a clearer light and that we saw more of Michelle [she is my favorite of the sisters]. And can someone please tell me how these people don't weight 500 pounds with all the cookies they eat? Good grief!!

The mystery part was kind of dumb - we all knew who was going to end up dead and little time is spent on finding the killer - I believe that was wrapped up in less than one chapter and it was very dissatisfying. There are still a lot of questions to be answered and who knows if the author will answer them or not. And there were moments where I was just banging my head against my desk at just how STUPID Hannah can be sometimes - she is supposed to be such a great detective and just cannot see things RIGHT IN FRONT OF HER EYES. And when she goes and questions the suspect with NO BACKUP? Really Hannah? Sigh.

And then let's talk about the cliffhanger - great, the author gives us the book that we have all been asking for [since she messed this whole series up with dumb Ross and a totally unbelievable story-line], but leaves us with a CLIFFHANGER [that I called in the 4th chapter of the book thankyouverymuch]??? Sigh. It was not needed and it certainly will not let Hannah move on from that mess that she got herself into. Sigh.

I still love the idea of Hannah and Norman together - they compliment each other so well. But I wouldn't blame Norman if he told her that they can only be friends because of all of her shenanigans. She almost doesn't deserve someone as nice as Norman. BUT!! She also doesn't deserve creepo Mike. So if the author decided to go back to her choosing between the two men, my vote is still for Norman, though if I was him, I wouldn't want to give her the time of day. <shrug>

Now that there has been a cliffhanger, I will probably read the next one. And then I will grouse about it the whole time [my poor mom and friends]. We will see.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40385223-chocolate-cream-pie-murder" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="Chocolate Cream Pie Murder (Hannah Swensen #24)" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1528161756m/40385223.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40385223-chocolate-cream-pie-murder">Chocolate Cream Pie Murder</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18819.Joanne_Fluke">Joanne Fluke</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2724022341">3 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
If it weren't for the fact that I got this from NetGalley I most likely would not have bought this book. I thought the last book about Ross really bit the big one. (see my review of <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30346650.Banana_Cream_Pie_Murder__Hannah_Swensen___21_" title="Banana Cream Pie Murder (Hannah Swensen, #21) by Joanne Fluke" rel="nofollow">Banana Cream Pie Murder</a>) .<br /><br />I see that a lot of people really love this book, so while it's not my glass of wine, it may be yours!<br /><br />This book tries to explain in more depth why Ross took off shortly after the wedding to Hannah -keyword tries. And it does, sort of.<br /><br />Okay, pros and cons of this book:<br /><br />Pros<br />It is a cozy and simple book - nothing complicated about it at all.<br /><br />It has cats in it.<br /><br />It has cool Minnesotan phraseology in it.<br /><br />It has great snowy weather in it.<br /><br />It has the usual character's in it.<br /><br />It has food in it---a LOT of food.<br /><br />It shows Ross as a real nutcase. Interesting.<br /><br />There is no swearing.<br /><br />There are no exchanges whatsoever of any kinds of body fluids. No sex--not even kissing.<br /><br />There is an interesting sort of cliff-hanger.<br /><br /> It has a lot of food/recipes in it and this time, not all the foods are cookies or bars.<br /><br />Cons<br /><br />The discussions of food can put you in a real food coma, literally. How the heck do they eat so much and how the heck do they NEVER make a new cookie/muffin/bar/egg dish that never comes out crappy or burns or people just don't plain like it? It would be a little more realistic.<br /><br />The police work is so simple that I would think that this is taking place on an Amish farm somewhere. And of course, Hannah doesn't listen to the cop when finally a murder (at 80%) happens.<br /><br />The recipes take up at least 50 pages of the Kindle version (my estimation since this is an ARC I'm going from). So, while you are paying for 300 pages of mystery, that is not what you are getting and it shows.<br /><br />The minutia is enough to drive one crazy.<br /><br />There is a cliff hanger (of course)<br /><br />No new character growth.<br /><br /><b>Sorry but you are going to have to make up your own mind on this one.</b><br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/1401819-dianne">View all my reviews</a>

I read this book to better understand the cozy mystery phenomenon. Yes, I started with book #24, That being said, I feel like the book works fine as a stand alone mystery. I'm sure I would have had a better understanding of the "love triangle" and community members of Lake Eden if I had started from the beginning. But for the sake of diving in, I didn't feel too lost in the story. So, for better or worse, here are my thoughts. Hannah Swensen is a baker, who owns a bakery. Her sister Michelle is a teacher, but has time to help Hannah at the bakery. Her friend Sally owns a restaurant. So, I don't understand why so many of the recipes rely on canned and boxed products, pre-made crusts, and packaged tortillas.
Baking/Cooking aside the story is simple & sweet and I enjoyed the old-timey town feel, but not the backwards established sexism. Women in the kitchens and classrooms, men in the the police force, medical field, etc. I would have loved to find one man cooking, and one woman doing anything besides working in a shop. The book reads like a clean soap opera with recipes. The mystery aspect doesn't come until the last 10% of the book and it's wrapped up within a few pages. It does leave you with nagging questions and a cliff hanger ending to entice readers to follow up with book #25. I definitely see the appeal of the genre and I'm inclined to go back and read book 1, or perhaps a different series where women don't wear pantsuits and call their mother..."mother."

Joanne Fluke never disappoints! This is another great addition to the Hannah Swenson series! A great story and mystery!

Hannah believed she was marrying her true love only to find out he was already married. After telling everyone that her marriage to Ross was not legal she finds herself needing bodyguards. Ross found his way back to Lake Eden and threaten to hurt her if she didn't get give him the money he left behind. After finding her Condo the middle of a crime scene she will have to figure out who did it before she finds her dipped in Chocolate.

A delicious mystery that ends in a cliff hanger. Leaves you wanting more and the recipes are a great additional to your recipe box. Can't wait to read the next book in this series. If you haven't read any other books in this series you might find yourself a bit lost. So do yourself a favor and start at the 1st one. You will be hooked by the series and will have all the books to look forward to.

24 books in and this series is stronger than ever. I have been waiting for this book for a while after the last couple ended. First, Hannah finally got married. Then her new husband disappeared. Then we had to wait a whole book to find out what happened to him. Then we had to wait even longer to find out how Hannah deals the whole mess. But this book has been worth the wait. I am so invested in these characters, I breezed right through this volume very quickly. There was some closure, of sorts, but there is still plenty left to find out. Can't wait until the next volume!

I flew through this book, because I've been waiting and waiting to see what happens with Ross. I was a little surprised that the murder part didn't happen until about 80% way through and it felt very rushed to get it solved (I actually thought it was going to continue until the next book). I liked how the story went, but some of the writing (her "thoughts" and having to spell every little thing out) became annoying and hard to read. I do enjoy reading about Hannah's life and after this many books I am invested in the town and residents, so I look forward to the next book.